Putter alignment system

A putter alignment system for use in conjunction with a golf putter to aid in training a golfer to precisely align the face of the putter so as to be perpendicular to a desired target, comprising:

• a putter component mounted upon the putter so as to move in conjunction therewith, the putter component including a beam directing assembly for directing a focused waveform;
• a remote target component for placement at a location set apart from the putter component, the remote target component including a waveform sensing assembly for sensing said focused waveform;
• a waveform generation assembly mounted on the remote target component for generating a waveform, and
• a signal generation assembly for generating one or more alignment signals, said alignment signals corresponding to the output of said waveform sensing assembly,
• wherein said signals are directly analogous to the horizontal alignment of the impact surface of the putter with respect to a preselected target, said preselected target having a fixed spatial relationship to the remote target component,
• the waveform generation assembly is mounted on the remote target component with the waveform output thereof emanating from a position vertically aligned with said preselected target;
• and
• said beam directing assembly includes a reflective element for reflecting and focusing said waveform into the form of a vertically extending slot shape such that when said impact surface is horizontally aligned with said preselected target, said focused waveform is directed toward said preselected target.

An alignment system for use in aiding horizontal alignment of a golf putter with respect to a preselected target, the putter including an optimum impact point on the impact surface thereof, defining a vertical putter axis plane perpendicular to the impact face of the putter and passing through the optimum impact point and further defining a vertical alignment plane containing the optimum impact point and the preselected target, comprising:

• waveform generating means for generating a waveform to travel intermediate the vicinity of the putter and the preselected target;
• a putter mounted component including waveform directing means for operating on said waveform and forming a delimited beam of said waveform, said waveform directing means being centered on the putter axis plane;
• and
• a target component for supporting the preselected target at a location remote from the putter, including electronic sensing means for sensing said delimited beam, electronic analysis means for analyzing the output of said sensing means and generating analog outputs in respect thereto and signal means for generating alignment signals in response to said analog outputs,
• wherein, said sensing means includes at leas a center sensor lying within the alignment axis plane and said analysis means and said signal means are together adapted to generate a distinguishable signal corresponding to approximately coplanar alignment of the putter axis plane and the alignment axis plane,
• the waveform generating means is an effective point source of electromagnetic energy situated on the target component within the alignment axis plane;
• and
• said waveform directing means is in the form of a reflecting component, arrayed perpendicularly to the putter axis plane, for reflecting the output of said point source in such a manner that the portion of said waveform reflected thereby is said delimited waveform, said delimited waveform being characterized by having the cross sectional shape of a vertically extending , horizontally narrow slot.